Influence of childhood asthma on dental caries: A longitudinal study

Abstract

Objectives: The study investigated the influence of childhood asthma on dental caries development and caries risk factors among children with asthma in Slovenia. Material and methods:The study population consisted of 2-17 years old children (n = 138), who had used anti-asthmatic medicines for at least 1 year. Controls were their non-asthmatic siblings (n = 140). International Caries Detection and Assessment System-II was used to assess caries status. After 3 years, 106 baseline participants (53 asthmatic and 53 siblings) were reexamined. Questionnaires completed by parents and data from the patients' medical records provided information on demographics, child's medical history, medication usage, and oral health behaviors.Additional 308 asthmatic children were examined to assess caries risk factors among children with asthma.Results: Asthmatic children had significantly higher mean d 12 fs and D 12 MFS (p ≤ 0.05), and fewer caries-free individuals (p ≤ 0.01). In asthmatic children, 3 years mean increment in D 12 MFS was significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05). Furthermore, progression over 3 years from sound tooth surfaces to decayed cavitated and filled lesions in primary and permanent teeth were present in significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) percentage, and likewise transition from decayed cavitated lesions to missing tooth surfaces because of caries in primary teeth, and from filled to filled non-cavitated and cavitated lesions in permanent teeth. Lower caries experience in asthmatic children was associated with lower doses of inhaled glucocorticoid use, leucotriene antagonist use, and daily milk and cheese consumption.Conclusions: Asthmatic children who had used anti-asthmatic medicines had higher caries experience and higher caries progression over 3 years in both primary and permanent dentitions. Besides anti-asthmatic medicines, other factors were associated with higher caries experience in asthmatic children.

Structural Relationships between Asthma and Dental Caries in Children: A Birth Cohort Study in Southern Brazil

“…Simplified conceptual framework for testing causality between asthma and caries. [12,13]. Despite the controversial evidence about asthma medicament use, it seems that the treatment duration significantly increases the individuals' caries experience according to previous study [32].…”

“…None of the previous systematic reviews explore the use of medication by asthmatic patients, even though some stated that it is a plausible mechanism for xerostomic aspect, fact that contributes for caries development in those individuals [30]. The few and small prospective studies considering asthmatic drugs found no consensus about the effect of asthmatic drugs in caries occurrence [12, 13]. Despite the controversial evidence about asthma medicament use, it seems that the treatment duration significantly increases the individuals’ caries experience according to previous study [32].…”

“…Throughout the years, the association between asthma and caries has been assessed using different study designs and exposure/outcome definition [6][7][8][9][10][11]. Considering original publications in the past 5 years, few prospective cohort studies assessing this relation were developed, and no consensus were found, particularly in primary dentition results [12,13]. Also, even when there was a measure of the use of antiasthmatic drugs, neither study analyzed it as a possible mediator or modifier.…”

Parental Perception of Oral Health and Oral Health Status of Pediatric Patients Attending an Urban Craniofacial Center

“…Medically complex children are at higher risk for caries and periodontal diseases due to a variety of factors including medication side-effects, dietary restrictions, sensory conditions, parental perception of dental caries as a threat, and among other factors. [18][19][20] While the CFC and the control groups were matched by age, sex, insurance type, and race, there were differences in the number of primary and permanent teeth per group. It was noted that more participants from the control group were in permanent dentition, while more CFC patients were in primary or mixed dentition.…”

The Association Between Long-Term Corticosteroids Use and Dental Caries: A Systematic Review

“…Samec et al conducted a cohort study comparing 138 asthmatic subjects actively using inhaled CSs for at least one year (divided into a group of 72 children aged two to six years old, 153 children aged seven to 12 years old, and a group of 13-17-year-old subjects) to 140 non-asthmatic siblings [ 9 ]. Asthmatic subjects in the first and third groups were found to have a significantly lower prevalence of sound teeth surfaces compared to the control group, and asthmatic children had significantly higher d12fs and D12MFS than their non-asthmatic siblings.…”